Page 32 of Sven

He deflated, holding open the door of the fridge, and just seemed to slump before pulling out a sports drink. As he closed the fridge, he gazed at her. This time, the smirk and the light that usually lit up his face were gone.

“I’m trying to be. I’m trying to deal with the stress of being a father, which I was not prepared for. But I’m also just so angry she left, not about her taking my shit. I don’t care about that. But I have a little girl who is going to ask questions about her mom someday... This is not how this was supposed to happen.”

He took a deep breath and opened the bottle. “So, there it is... Feel free to run,” he said before taking a swig from his drink.

“Now, why would I do that? You clearly need me more than I even thought you did.”

He gave a rough chuckle, but the darkness was still behind his eyes.

“Sven, what you have done for that little girl in a short amount of time is impressive,” she said.

He just shook his head, breaking eye contact.

“I mean that.” She paused, waiting for him to look at her. “Looking around this house, it looks like that little girl has lived here all her life.”

“Yeah, I’m really good at buying things,” he said as he made his way back to the table.

“It’s not just that, and you know it. I can tell you adore Winnie, and she seems to be thriving here.”

“Well, anyway . . . that’s the truth of it.”

“Okay, slightly more complicated that I thought, but I’m still here.”

He looked at her with his piercing blue eyes, and, fuck, if she didn’t watch it, she would fall in love with her boss. Especially after knowing what she knew now. Yes, this situation was messy, but the way he was handling it made her respect him. Now she respected him and liked him... Not a good combination for not falling in love with him.

“Do you still want to move into the pool house?” he asked.

“With that schedule?” She gestured to the phones before them. “I think it’s for the best.”

“What about time off?”

“One day a week and two evenings off?”

“Done.”

“Well, Mr. Olsson, I think we have a deal.”

He smiled at her. And heaven help her. It settled deep in her soul.

“When are you moving in?”

A couple hours later,Natalie was at Sydney’s, packing up her stuff.

“But, like, why do you have to move in?” Sydney asked as she sat on the guest bed, watching Natalie pack.

“His schedule is intense. It just makes more sense for me to live there.”

“He’s not taking advantage of you, is he?” Sydney asked suspiciously.

“What? No.” Natalie said, giving her a look.

“I’m just saying, Sven has a reputation,” she said, popping another chip in her mouth.

Natalie put her hands on her hips. “I would never sleep with my boss.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try anything.”

She turned back to stuffing things in her suitcase. “He hasn’t been like that with me. He’s a good dad, and he’s in kind of a tough spot.”

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